Amid majestic mountains, Bảo Trang once witnessed monks returning from a year of austere practice in the highlands, carrying large bags on their shoulders to join a special market—where every exchange took place at the price of zero đồng. But to her, zero đồng did not mean “worthless.” These items were given out of compassion and generosity, a way of connecting people without the need for money. From that moment, she began to ask herself: could business—so often tied to profit and markets—also become a way to connect people, preserve culture, and tell uniquely Vietnamese stories in a global language? That question slowly blossomed into a dream: to use business thinking to share cultural values, so that the simple, heartfelt stories of Vietnam could reach people anywhere in the world.

From volunteering, to becoming champion of the ESSEC Global Business Case Competition, to illustrating murals for a small temple, to interning across the Middle East, Bảo Trang has continuously experimented, failed, and tried again—turning ideas into action, collecting fragments of both culture and market insight. This journey, distilled into a deeply personal application, helped her win admission to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign—a standout public university in the U.S.

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1. From a Zero-Dollar Market to a Dream of Connecting Vietnamese Culture through Global Business

On a volunteer trip to the mountains, Bảo Trang lived in a small temple deep in the forest. Each morning, she awoke to the sound of wooden bells, the monks’ meditation stories, and the crackle of a wood-fired kitchen. Life moved slowly and peacefully, with its own quiet abundance.

Here, she helped the abbot share items at the temple’s “zero-đồng market”—where monks brought useful objects marked by monastic life. Anyone in need could take them freely, without asking or bargaining. For the first time, she clearly understood that “zero đồng” did not mean “without value.” An object that no longer held market worth could still warm someone’s heart. When giving comes from empathy and sincerity, it creates a value that cannot be measured by money.

From that market, she began to see business differently. It was no longer just calculation, buying, and selling—but a way to connect people, spread culture, and share meaning. She wondered: if a product could move someone emotionally, could it also become a bridge between cultures? From this thought, she nurtured a dream: to use global business thinking to tell Vietnamese stories—simple and heartfelt, yet packaged in a modern language—so that anywhere in the world, people could see a piece of Vietnam in those ordinary things.

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2. A Journey of Cultural Development with a Global Leadership Mindset

Returning to the city, Bảo Trang carried with her the question from the zero-đồng market: how can business be a tool for connection, not just profit? To find the answer, she sought out hands-on experiences to sharpen her business mindset—like competing in the ESSEC Global Business Case Competition.

There, she didn’t just learn to read data, analyze markets, or define target customers. She faced real business challenges. Brainstorming sessions shifted from “how do we win?” to “how do we create meaningful value?” She realized that a strong solution is one that helps people live better—simple, practical, sustainable. This mindset led her to design a marketing campaign with a deeply human story around water filters for Indonesian students, earning her First Place in the competition out of more than 1,100 global contestants.

At the same time, she began developing a small business model to strengthen her strategic and product development skills. She chose digital illustration—both a personal strength and a medium she believed could connect emotions across cultures. Each artwork revolved around a character with a simple, real-life story, then evolved into collections printed on tote bags, keychains, and other items. Through this, she experimented with pricing, communication, and user feedback—gradually building a holistic understanding of business, from identifying core values to testing operations.

To broaden her global outlook, Bảo Trang interned at an import-export company headquartered in Iran. For three months, she worked as a Marketing Intern, collaborating with an advisor in the UK and clients across the Middle East. Weekly, she presented product proposals tailored to cultural contexts. Differences in language, time zones, and work habits forced her to build flexibility, attentive listening, and precise communication. She learned that developing a global mindset requires more than language skills or academic knowledge—it demands empathy and discipline in daily actions.

Yet, the further she went, the more she wanted to return to her roots. In her free time, she painted murals for village temples, pagodas, and ancient towns she visited—while listening to monks tell the stories of each land. For her, this was not only relaxation but also a way to nurture her deep love for Vietnamese culture.

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3. Reaping the Rewards of a Personal, Value-Driven Application

By the end of 11th grade, many of her peers had already finished applications with clear plans, while Bảo Trang was still caught in doubt. She had not yet completed standardized tests, her extracurriculars felt scattered, and her personal essay lacked a connecting thread. With only 4–5 months before deadlines, she had to choose: stay stuck, or start over almost from zero. She chose to keep going.

She restarted everything—self-studying IELTS and SAT, reviewing every past activity, and working closely with her MiYork mentors, Mr. Khoa and Ms. Tuyết. From them, she learned that her greatest strength lay not in titles or numbers, but in her unique journey—where every choice, every trial, every stumble carried a clear set of personal values.

Her essay was not written to impress, but to tell a story: how she came to believe that business is not only commerce, but also a way to share culture and create meaningful human connections.

And then, the acceptance letter arrived: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)—a university renowned for its strength in Business and Marketing, and a place where she believes she can nurture the dream planted long ago at that mountain market.

At UIUC, she hopes to expand her understanding of global markets while developing products and projects that tell Vietnam’s stories in modern, vivid ways. To her, business is not just the movement of goods, but the journey of memory, culture, and empathy across borders.

MiYork proudly congratulates Bảo Trang on her bright journey ahead at UIUC!

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